Geranium plant named ‘Dueameliastar’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy  Geranium  plant named ‘Dueameliastar’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; and red purple and light pink bi-colored double flowers.

Botanical denomination: Pelargonium peltatum. Cultivar designation: ‘Dueameliastar’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Geranium Plant Named ‘Dueamarostar’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/172,053 Applicant: Marga Dümmen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueameliastar’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact and freely-flowering Ivy Geraniums with attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Ivy Geranium is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code number E-01-13, not patented. The cultivar Dueameliastar was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings at Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2003 has shown that the unique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dueameliastar’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dueameliastar’ as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Red purple and light pink bi-colored double flowers.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in flower color as plants of the parent selection have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Dueamarostar in flower color as plants of the cultivar Dueamarostar have red and light pink bi-colored flowers.

The new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar Dueamelia, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,751. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Ivy Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Dueamelia in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had longer internodes than         plants of the cultivar Dueamelia.     -   2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had smaller umbels than plants         of the cultivar Dueamelia.     -   3. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Dueamelia         differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar         Dueamelia had red purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower and foliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dueameliastar’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Dueameliastar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles. Plants were grown in 10.5 cm containers. Plants were pinched about three weeks after planting. Plants were about eight weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photograph and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar     Dueameliastar. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code number E-01-13,     not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C.             Winter: About 7 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 20° C.             Winter: About four weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, upright and outwardly spreading             plant habit, rounded plant form; densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely             basal branching, about six lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 13 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Internode length:             About 3.5 cm. Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 6 cm. Width: About 6.8 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex:             Acute. Base: Peltate. Margin: Crenate. Venation pattern:             Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: 137A; zonation pattern, faint, 147A in color             and about 6 mm in width. Developing and fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper and lower             surfaces: 144A. Petiole: Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Red purple and light pink bi-colored             double flowers arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels             arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the             foliage on upright peduncles. Flowers rounded in form.             Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not             fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; plants have about six             to seven open umbels with about seven to ten flowers per             umbel.         -   Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring through             summer.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on             the plant.         -   Umbel size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Height: About 4.5 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height): About             2.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: 144A.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About             2.7 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Sinuate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Center, 69C; towards the margin and             longitudinal stripes, 74A to 74B; towards the base, 71A.             When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Center, 69C;             towards the margin and longitudinal stripes, 57B.         -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About 12 to 17. Length:             About 2.6 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:             Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Sinuate. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Center, 69C; towards the margin and             longitudinal stripes, 74A to 74B. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Center, 69C; towards the margin and             longitudinal stripes, 57B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five, arranged in a             single whorl. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 4 mm.             Shape: Elongated, tapering. Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 144A.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A overlain with 183C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower:             About ten. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Ovate.             Anther color: 70A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             28A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma color:             59A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: 2D. Ovary color:             Close to 144A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy     Geraniums. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been     observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 5° to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Dueameliastar’, as herein illustrated and described. 